Cooker



yv. P. scHRoEDER VcooxER July 5, 1949.

6 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed July 8. 194e INVENTOR WALTER 1P. scHRoEDER BY uw Attorneys July 5, 1949. w. P. scHRoEDER 2,475,523

cooxER l 'l Filed July 8, 194e e sheets-sheet 3 Q e Q i""" "i l I i f l I@ e; 1 I g l I l INVENToR I el" e e WALTER R scHRoEDER 'Il I BY Wwf@ Atorneys July 5, 1949- w. P. sci -IRoEDER f 2,475,523

l cooxER A I Filed July s, 194e e sheets-sheet 4 INVENTOR 4 WALTER P. SGHRQEDERI Aorneys July 5, 1949. w. P. scHRoEDER COOKER 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 8, 194e INVENT-OR WALTER P, SCHROEDEH ffar neys W. P. SCHROEDER July 5, 1949.A

\ GOOKER 6 Sheets-Sheet 6I Filed July 8, 1946 INVENTQR WALTER P. SCHROEDER Ahornays Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COOKER n Schroeder, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

v `ApplicationJuly 8, 1946,` Serial N0..681,827f. C

(Cl. E39-443) 11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to ,l food Acooking apparatus and has more particular reference to automatic cookers ofV thetypawherein the food is cooked in separate'. containersfby a continuous process.- v A u One object of the invention is to provide an automatic cooker, which includes'two cooking chambers through which `a-plurality of containers are continuously movedionfaconveyor assembly employing.anintermittent/motion.

Another object ofitheainvention'is to provide an `automatic Lcookerwas` `characterized above, wherein improved means arev provided for detachably suspending the containers from theconveyor and wherein the containers, which may or may not be 1foraminousfaref.providedwith locking means toprevent lateral movement relative to the conveyor.

Another object of' theinvention is to provide an automatic cooker as `characterired above, wherein atleast one` of .the cooking chambers `is provided `with means for `steaming the food.

Another object oftheinvention` is to provide an` automatic cooker as characterized above, wherein the two cooking chambers are connected by passageways and wherenmeans are.-provided for preventing the escape of heat from the chambers as the containers aremoved into and through the chambers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic cooker characterized as above, which includes meanscfor automatically `detaching a container filled :with cooked food from the conveyor system' and,at`thes`ame time, automatically attaching a container filled with Auncooked food to the conveyor system;`|` i Another"object of theinvention `is to provide an automatic cooker as characterized above, including a casing or housing having aligned openings in its sidewalls for the insertion and removal of containers and wherein doors are provided for the openings with `means for automatically raising and lowering the doors and wherein automatic means arelprovided' forremoving a container lledwithcookedfood and simultaneously insertinga container "nlled with uncooked iood into-` the casing While the doors are raisecLf Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic cooker as characterized above, wherein the inventionconsistsin the construction, combination` and arrangement `of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in` the drawings, in.

which: i. l l l i Fig'. 1 is alverticalsectional view of the autom'aticcooker; l, l l .l l Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 2 2 `.ofliig `-1; y i y Fig. 3 is a -plan.view -of the `automatic cooker shown in Fig. 1;- `1 if.

Fig. 4 is an enlargedldetail view of the loading and unloading mechanismshown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View showing the rst cycle of operationycontrolled by the interrupted gear drive; i i Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the second cycle of operatiomcontrolled by the interrupted gear drive; i

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic vieW- showing the third cycle of operation controlled by theinterrupted gear; @q1 l l l Fig. 8 isla diagrammatic View showing the fourth cyclev of operation controlled by the interrupted gear; i Fig. 9 is a perspective iew of a carrier, showing the manner `in whichlit-islattachedr to the con; veyorchains;` and i l i i IFig. "10 is a perspective View of a modied form of carrier..r i l -`Referring now to the` drawings, the automatic cooker comprises anV upstandinghousing or casing which is substantially rectangular and elongated in plan; the housing lbeing `made up of end walls lll 'and Il, side walls,` I2` and l3,-and bottom and top walls I4 and l5. If desired, the top, end and side walls may `bexsuitably lined with asbestos or other heat insulating material I6. The housingV is supported atfeach end bysuitably attached legs Il. i i

The interior ofthe housing is divided into a lower cooking chamber orrcompartment I8 and an upper cooking chamber or compartment i9, connected at their front and rear ends by vertical passageways 20 and-.2|.rxThe chambers and passageways are formed bymeans of horizontal partition walls 22 and 23 andzvertical partition walls 24 `and 25.` Any suitable means may be provided for heating the cooking chambers I8 and I9; that illustrated in the present instance being one or more gasburners located beneath the chambers, as shown at 26.

rihe upper and lower cooking chambers, together with the front and rear vertical passageways connecting them, forma closed path of travel for an `endless flexible chain conveyor system by means of which a plurality of separate food containers or buckets are continuously m'oved through the cooking chambers.

Suitable means are provided in each of the Vertical passageways to prevent the escape of heat from the cooking chambers. In the particular embodiment shown, an upper pair of flaps 21, 28 and a lower pair of flaps 29, 3D are pivotally 'mounted within the front passageway 20 and an upper pair of flaps 3|, 32 and a lower pair of naps 33, 34 are pivotally mounted withinthey rear'passageway 2l. These flaps are hingedly mounted on the side walls of the passageways and are nor,- mally held in a horizontal closed position by suitable resilient means, such as springs 35. naps in the front passageway areadapted .to open downwardly and the flaps in the rear passageway are adapted to open upwardly when-engagedby a food container or bucket in its movement through the path of travel.

A transversely extending platform 36 is provided at Vthe forward lfor yeXit end of the upper cooking chamberl9 andis'preferably formed vintegral with the horizontal partition 23, `which forms the bottom of the upper'coking chamber. The height of the platform is such as to slidably engage the bottomsvof Athe buckets as they are moved over the platform. A transverse dependingiap'l' islpivotally mounted on the top of the cooking chamber at a point located over the platform andis adapted to-engagethe forward upper portion of a bucket when in positionon the platform and, together -withthebucket, form a barrier to prevent theescape of heat from the cooking compartment, as shown in Fig. 1.

The lower cooking chamber I8'is adapted tobe used'either for 'frying or'roasting food and, when used for frying, is i'llled with cooking'oil or fat. Adrain 38is provided in one'endof the bot-tom ofthe lower cooking lchamber topermitdraining the cooking oil or fat therefrom. If considered desirabla'the bottomfof'thelower cooking chamber may be constructed :to have a gradual slope toward the drain opening.

Means are provided in the lower cooking chamber for generating steam and/comprises a closed container 39 mounted on the end wall of the chamber belowthe cooking oil l-evel and having a water inlet 49. Steam outlets from thecontaiiner 39 'maybe vprovided 'for both l cooking chambers.

In fthe particular vemltmdiment shown, a steam outlet pipe M extends upwardly into the upper cooking chamber. By this arrangement, food, such as'chickemvbeingfried in the lower cooking Ychamber;maybesteamed in theupper cooking chamber `while'fbeing subjected'to vthe-'oven heat of the upper chamber.

The endless chain conveyor system comprises a spaced pair of endless exible members or chains 42.mountedfonfand engagingl spaced pairs of sprockets `13;rotatably 'mounted on brackets suitably securedtotheside'walls of the housing, as shownvinl'igs. \l and 2.

A plurality of'containerslor buckets 44 are detachably mounted on thefpairfof 'endless chains. Theibuckets` ld ar-e'of identicalconstruction and :each comprises a hollow frectangular member having endwalls f45, 96 andf'side walls 41,'48. The side walls'lW, 48 extendrabove the end walls and their upperfedge Aportions ar-e bent inwardly and downwardly, and the lower edge'of the downwardly bentportion is provided with a .pair of `spaced notches or cut `out yportions '49. The '.bucketssmaybe made foraminous byfforming the "bottom, endland side walls with a plurality of yapertures therein.

The

The endless chains are provided at predetermined spaced intervals with a plurality of means for detachably supporting a carrier or bucket. Each of the means is of identical construction and comprises a horizontal rod or supporting member 59 extending between the chains and having its ends rotatably journaled in links of the chain, as clearly shown in Fig. 9. Each horizontal vrod 50 .is provided, vintermediate its ends, with afspaced pair of depending, inverted, T- shaped hooks or members 5| formed integral therewith or suitably secured thereto, as by welding. Each of the depending, inverted, T-

4shaped members comprises a vertical rod or member .52 having a horizontally extending rod or member 53 attached to its end, as by welding, the point .of yattachment being located interrnen diate of the ends of the rod 53. The rods 53 extendparallel to each other and at right angles to the horizontal rod 50.

W hen the carriers or'bucketsM are attached-to thefconveyor, the ends-ofthe rods-`53are received in the notches M9, Iwhich act as detents -or locking \means to prevent lateral Amovement of vthe buckets. The buckets are automatically attached and :detached to and :from the conveyor chains in=a manner hereinafter tobe described.

yA loading 'and Aunloadingstation is llocated'in the path of travel of vthe conveyor, at lwhich means are .provided :'for automatically `detaching from the yconveyor ra zbucket for .carrier :containing :cooked ifood and.'simultaneously:attaching to the conveyor'a'buck'et or 'carrier lled `with food to 'be-cooked. The :,loadingstation is .located in the upper forwardportion of theihousing and includes-a fpairfof xedzplatforms .54, 2.55 on each sideof the housingpsupported by'brackets 56, A5l. Openings 58, 59 are formed in the side walls of the housing in `alignment with the platforms. The :openings 158, 5.9 are provided -with vertical sliding doors f6.0, f6! engaging'fin yvertical guideways 62 "formed :on .the sides of the openings. Pivotally attached levers 63, "6.4 are vfprovided for raising and lowering the doors. The doors are raised and lowered .iin fa T`manner vand by means hereinafter .tofbefdescribed Each-.of the doors i60, :6I has .an integral inward1yturned:flange 65, 66 formed ion its bottom edge. A spaced pair of depending rods 6l, havinglabutmentss formed on their ends are xedly attached vto yeach yof the anges f65, '66, reach :rod being locatedadjacent to one end of thefilange.y A spaced 'pair yofplatform members 69, 1.9 are rslidably mounted on the rods, with onefrod'onone door passingthroughan opening in one end of the platform member while the corresponding :aligned v:rod -on the `Opposite door passes -throughlan-.opening -in the opposite end ofthe platform. l

-When thedoors are in ltheir loweredpositions, the platform-.membersf k'Ill rest on the edges of a 'transversely `extending opening 'H formed lin the/horizontalpartition 23 `which forms-the bottom-,ofthe upper fcooking chamber with the rods 6'!A projecting-,through suitable openings formed in the partition l23. When the-doors are lifted tortheir raised positioned the abutments on the depending rods 61 will engage and raise the movable platform -fmembers 69, 10 and'support them in horizontal alignmentwith the upper surface ofthe Xed platforms 54,55. Thus, when a bucket is brought, Iby the ychain conveyor, to a position straddling-the.platformmembers 69, 1U, as shown in Fig. `1,.the bucket will'fbe raised by .the platformmembers, Whemthey areraised, to a position from vvhich it can be pushed through' the opening in the side wall "of the housing onto thexed platform 55."` When in this raised position, the notches 49 formed in the bucket are* freed from engagement with the ends of the rods 53 and the bucket is detached from the chain conveyor and isfree to be pushed out of the opening inthesidewall of the housing.

The mechanism for `pushing the bucket filledf bracket `13 depending from the fixed platform54 and a bearing 14 formed inthe side wall of the` housing. The rod 12 is provided, adjacent each end, with vertical projections or fingers 15, 16 hingedly connected thereto and normally held in upright position by suitable springs The `finger 15 extends upwardly Within a slot 11 formed yin the Xed platform 54. A slot 18, formed in the fixed platform `55, is adapted to receive rthe finger 16 when the rod 12 is moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2. i i Depending fromthe rod 12 at a point spaced inwardlyof the finger 16 .is a cam follower11' adapted` to. ride ina `cam track `16 formed on the outer surfaceof a cylinder19 flxedly mounted on a shaft80 rotatablymounted in suitablebear ings formed in the side Walls of the housing. As the ,cylinder 19. rotates, the cam folloWer11 riding in the cam track 18', will cause the rod 12.110 reciprocate., The length of the rod 12 and thespacingof the upright iingers 15, 16 are so constructed and arrangedv that, as the rod 12 moves from its eXtreme left position to its extreme right position, as viewed in Fig. 2, the finger 16 Will engage the bucket on the movable platform members 09, 10 and push it through the opening in the side Wall ofthe housing ontothe fixed platform 55 at the same timethe finger :1 5 engages a bucket filled with foodto be cooked and pushes it fromthe fixed `platform 54 through the opening formed in the other side `Wall of the housing onto the movable platform members 69, 10.

As the rod 12 moves back from its extreme right position to its extreme left position, the fingers 15, 16 Will be pivoted into horizontal position` as they engage and slide under the buckets on the movable platform members 69, 10 and the xed platform 54 and will spring back tovertical position as soon as they have moved `clear of the buckets. 1

The right hand end 8| of the shaft 80- extends through the side Wall of the `housing and has a sprocket B2 xedly mounted thereon. `The sprocket 82 is intermittently driven by an endlesschain `in a manner and by means herein-` afterto be describedf i i i l A `housing 83 for the driving mechanism is suitably secured ,on` the upper `forward end `of the cooker `housing and comprises top'wall `lherld walls 85, 66 and side walls 81, 88. The driving mechanism includes a spaced pair of interrupted gears 89, 90, each having a series of gear teeth 9|, 92 located 180 apart relative to each other. The gears 89, 90 are ixedly mounted on a shaft 93, mounted in suitable bearings in the housing 83 and driven by a motor 94 through suitable reduction gearing 95. The upper forward pair 'of sprockets 43, on `Which the conveyor chains-r 42 are mounted, are iixedlyattached `tostub-shafts 96, 91,y which are mounted in suitable bearings" inrtherside walls I 2, I3 of the cooker housing.V

The shafts 96, 91 project through the side walls and sprockets 98, 99 are fixedly attached to their outer ends. A shaft |00, mounted in suitable bearings in the housing '83, has an interrupted gear IOI Iixedly mounted thereon and positioned to {engage and be driven by the interrupted gear 89; Sprockets |02, |03 are fixedly mounted on each end of the shaft |00 and, by means of endless chains |04, |05, drive the sprockets 98, 99 and, through them, the endless conveyor chains 42.

"Ashaft |06, mounted in suitable bearings in the housing-l83, 4has aspaced pair of interrupted gears |01, |08 looselymounted thereon and positioned to engage and be driven by the interrupted gears 89, `90, respectively. The gear |01 drives the shaft |06 through an over-riding clutch |09, iixedly mounted on the shaft |06 and gear |06 drives the shaft |06 through an over-riding clutch I|0 xedly mounted on'the shaft |06. A sprocket II.I is fixedlymounted on the shaft |06 intermediate the over-riding clutches |09, IIO and, by means of an endless chain II2, drives asprocket H3 Xedly mounted on a shaft |.I4 suitably-mounted inibearings formed in the side. Walls of the housing 93. rThe endsof 'the shaft I|4 project beyond the side Wallsof` the housing! 83 and each. end has a crank arm I I5, H6 xedlyf attached thereto. The levers 63, 64 are pivotally connected at one end to the bottom ends of the erankarms I.I5, I I6, respectively, and,.at their` other ends are pivotally connected to theslidin'g` doors. 60, 6I, respectively; thus, as Athe shaft .I I4 rotates, thedoors areraised andlowered. .j lA shaft I |1`, `mountedin suitable ,bearingstin the housing 83hasA an,interrup`ted gear II8 `fix-` edly mounted thereonandpositioned to engage and be driven by interruptedgear 89. `One end of. shaft II1 projects beyond the side wall of the housing 83 andhasa sprocket ||9 xedly mounted thereon, which drives, `by means of an endless chain |20, thesprockt 62` and the cam cylinder" 1 9, thus causing therod"i12 to reciprocate.

The cyclic operation ofwthe apparatus is diagrammatically shown in Figs. 6, '1, 8 fand79`.` As#` suming that all the buckets are lled with food, withv thebucket positioned at the loading station filled with completely' cookedfood and lready to be detaohed'from the conveyor system and a neiv bucketlled. with uncooked food in position on the fixedplatform 5 4: y w 1st cycle (Fig. 5) A s shaft '93,jld`riven by the motor, rotates, thev gear-teeth y9| on interrupted gear 09 engage the interrupted gear "|01,` which, through the overll riding clutch I0'9,"drives` the shaft `|06 and the sprocketfl'II; which;`in turn, by means of endless 'chain'j` I |2,'rot`ates` the shaft "I I4, thereby causing'the-crankfarmsl I5, `I I6 "and levers 63; 64 to raise the doors 60, 6|. ZzidcyclcfFir/lf) As shaft93.- continues'to rotatept'he gear `teeth 9| `on interrupted gear 89 engage the interrupted gear I |8- on shaft HII-z1`,fthereby rotatingthe shaft II1 and the `sprocket II9,` Which, by means of endless chain` |20, drivesthe sprocket 82 and the cam1cylinder19f to vreciprocate the rod 12. As therod 12` moves to-.thetri'ghh the bucket filled. withi cookedlfood is pushed onto the xed platform 55 while, at the same time, a bucket lled Withfood to-be cokedtis/fmoved `fromthe xed platform-.-54. onto the'fmovable platform `members 7 69 10. As'the ycam lcylinder V'I9 continues to rotate, the 'rod J2 iis-moved to `the left to its former starting position.

3rd cycle (Fig. 71)

4th `cycle `(Fig. 8)

As shaft 93 continuesto rotate, the gear teeth 9| on interrupted gear 89 .engage the interrupted gear 'lill on shaft |00, thereby rotating the shaft and thesprockets |02, |03, which, by means of endless chains |04, |05, .drivethe sprockets 98, 99 andthe endless conveyor chains 42. The conveyor chains 42 .movethrough a distance to bring the gnext bucket onto vthe loading station, whence the cycles are repeated.

The number and. spacing of the buckets carried by the .conveyor are predetermined, together with the size and `arrangement of the gears, and the timing, so that a .bucket filled with uncooked food is .loaded onto the conveyor system and intermittently moved through the lower and upper cooking chambers and brought onto the unloading ,platform at the exact time the food contained therein is perfectly-cooked. Obviously, the timing and other arrangements may be altered to properly cook varying types of food.

The spacing of the buckets and the spacing of the upper and lower heat retaining flaps in the frontand rear vertical passageways is such that, when one ofthe pairs of flaps in apassageway is engaged and opened by a bucket the other pair of flaps is closed; thus the spaced pairs of 4flaps actas a jheatlock.

'Suitable openings'covered by detachable closure members |2| may be provided in the top and side walls yof the cooker 'housing and the top of :the lower cooking chamber to provide access to 4the interior of the cooker for cleaning purposes. Also, if desired, means may be provided for lguiding and supporting the endless chains 42 'during 'their long horizontal `reaches between the front and rear pairs o'f sprockets 43; in the particular embodiment shown, supporting plates |22, suitably secured to theside walls of the housing, are .provided for this purpose.

Obviously, the .invention V.is znot restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of Lthe invention be used conjoint1y,since,they may be employed advantageously in variousfcombinations and sub-combinations.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for cooking edibles comprising a housingahaving a cookinglchamber formed therein; means for heating said chambers; Aan endless conveyor mounted in said-housing; a plurality of food containers detachably connected to said conveyor; automatic driving means for moving said conveyorin a closed=path within said housing and `through said cooking chamber; a loading and unloading station formed in said housing; yandmeans'carried by'said housing and located at said station :forrautomatically detaching a .container from thesconveyor, removingit from 8 the housing fand inserting a ='container into ithe housing and attaching :it "to the conveyor, said means including vertically movable platform members adapted to :be .raised into ,position vto engage and lift anddetach :acontainer from said conveyor; :a reciprocatory member ,provided `with spaced stop members, one of vsaid stop members being positioned Ito -:engage land remove a container Aafter ithas Jbeenldetached from the conveyor yand the other lof said 'stop members being positioned `vto vengage and move an :unattached container onto Asaid Aplatform `vmembers into fa position whereby when said platform :members are lowered the :unattached vcontainerWill 'be attached to fsaid fconveyor; and .driving means for intermittently :operating said 'platform members Aand said lreciprocatory imember.

`2. Apparatus for cooking edibles comprising a casing having top, bottom 4andiside walls, horizontal. and vertical :partitions therein providing a fclosed vpath lincluding .upper and lower compartments connectedfat -their front and-rear ends by vertical passageways'; means 'for `heating said compartments; an -endless conveyor having -a path -of movement through said closed path; a plurality of spaced buckets detachably connected to and -movable with -said conveyor; automatic means including translatory members mounted for reciprocatory movement in a fixed path and located at a predetermined point in the vpath of movement of said conveyor `for ldetaching and attaching buckets to and from `the conveyor; automatic means including a reciprocatory member carrying a spaced pair of stop members for engaging and vremoving a detached bucket from within the casing and simultaneously engaging and moving a buckettobe attached into the casing; automatic driving means Vfor intermittently moving said conveyoryandtiming meanszcontrolling the operationof said automatic means whereby their sequence of operation will be automatic detachment of a bucket,fromithefconveyon automatic removal `of the .detached bucket from the casing simultaneously with insertion of a bucket into the casing, automatic `attachment of .the last named -bucket to -the conveyor, forward movement of the conveyor to advance another bucketltothe predetermined point, thence repetition of labove cycle.

3. An apparatus,asfset-forth in claim 2 wherein said side Walls are ,provided with opposed openings having yvertical edges .provided with guide- Ways having doors slidably mounted therein and wherein said automatic means for detaching and attaching buckets to the conveyor includes means for automaticallyzopening and closing saiddoors.

v4. An apparatus'asset forth in claim 2,`where in -said timing means includes an interrupted gear system.

5. An apparatus, as-.set forth in claim 2, wherein said automatic means for removingfaldetached bucket'from within the casingand simultaneously moving 1a bucket into :the casing includes a reciprocating member provided'with acam follower andza rotary cylindricalmember provided .witha cam track adapted to `receive said cam follower.

`6. Apparatus, asset forth in clairn2, wherein said conveyor is provided :with a plurality o'f spaced supporting members vhaving depending hook-like members tattached thereto upon which the buckets are suspended'and wherein said automatic means 'for `attaching and detaching `a bucket to and .from the conveyor includes movable vplatform Emembers :adapted yto'=engage the bottom of a bucket and raise or lower it to detach or attach it to the hook-like members.

7. Apparatus for cooking edibles comprising a housing having a cooking chamber formed therein; means for heating said chamber; an endless conveyor mounted within said housing and having a path of movement through said chamber, said conveyor including a laterally spaced oppositely disposed pair of endless flexible members having a plurality of spaced carrier members mounted thereon, each of said carrier members including a supporting member extending between and having its ends journaled in said flexible members and having a spaced pair of depending inverted T-shaped members attached thereto intermediate its ends; a plurality of buckets carried by said conveyor, each of said buckets having a bottom, side and end walls, said side walls extending above said end walls and being provided with means adapted to engage the ends of the inverted T-shaped member of a carrier member whereby each of said buckets is supported by a carrier member.

8. Apparatus for cooking edibles, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said means consists of inwardly and downwardly projecting flanges formed along the tops of said side walls and wherein each of said anges is provided with a spaced pair of notches adapted to receive the ends of the inverted T-shaped members of a carrier and act as detents to prevent lateral movement of said bucket relative to said carrier.

9. Apparatus for cooking edibles comprising a housing, horizontal and vertical partitions therein providing an upper cooking compartment and a lower cooking compartment connected at their front and rear ends by vertical passageways; means for heating the upper and lower compartments; an endless conveyor having a closed path of movement through the upper and lower compartments and said passageways; a plurality of spaced buckets connected to and movable with said conveyor; automatic driving means for moving said conveyor; vertically spaced pairs of iiaps mounted in each of said passageways and normally held in their closed position to prevent the escape of heat from the upper and the lower compartments, said flaps being engageable by said buckets and moved thereby to their open position, the distance between the upper pairs of flaps and the lower pairs of aps and the 10 spacing of said buckets being such that when one pair of iiaps in a passageway is engaged and opened by a bucket the other pair of flaps in the passageway remains closed.

10. Apparatus for cooking edibles, as set forth in claim 9 wherein said buckets are intermittently moved through the closed path and wherein means are provided to prevent the escape of heat from the upper compartment including a transverse raised platform formed adjacent to the exit end thereof upon which a bucket comes to rest after each intermittent movement, and a depending plate pivotally mounted in said compartment and adapted to engage a bucket when positioned on said platform.

11. Apparatus for cooking edibles comprising a housing, horizontal and vertical partitions therein providing upper and lower cooking compartments connected at their forward and rear ends by vertical passageways; said lower compartment being adapted to contain heating cooking oil to a predetermined level; means for heating said compartments; a device for generating steam mounted in said lower compartment in heat exchange relation with the cooking oil, said device including a closed container having a water inlet and a steam outlet opening into the upper compartment and adapted to discharge steam therein; an endless conveyor having a path of movement through said chambers and said passageways; a plurality of food containers connected to and movable with said conveyor; and automatic driving means for moving said conveyor whereby the food contained in said containers will be fried in the lower compartment and steamed in the upper compartment.

WALTER P. SCHROEDE'R.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the rile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,419,756 Putnam et al. June 13, 1922 1,596,606 Fooks Aug. 17, 1926 2,013,906 Boiardi Sept. 10, 1935 2,097,471 Scharsch Nov. 2, 1937 2,112,309 Santillan Mar. 29, 1938 2,253,567 Kochenour et al. Aug. 26, 1941 2,369,274 Beatty Feb. 13, 1945 

